Group Suggests First Implementation Of NextGen To Be In
Congested NY Area
An unprecedented array of airline,
business, travel, and tourism industry leaders joined the Port
Authority in New York City last month, urging full funding for
NextGen initiatives to overhaul the country's air traffic control
system and finally put an end to delays that plague the nation's
air travelers.
The Port Authority and co-host, The University Transportation
Research Center - Region II, asked a panel of experts to home in on
the importance of NextGen technologies as a key component of
capacity enhancements and, ultimately, global competitiveness. The
panel included representatives from the Air Line Pilots
Association, EUROCONTROL, the Federal Aviation Administration, the
Partnership for New York City, and the Regional Plan
Association.
The newly formed National Alliance to Advance NextGen, composed
of nearly 100 organizations representing millions of people, calls
for an FAA Reauthorization Bill that includes the funding necessary
to advance, install and operate NextGen technology as quickly as
possible – and to do so in the New York metropolitan region
first, as studies have shown that 75 percent of the nation's air
traffic delays have their genesis at one of the region's
airports.
A statement published by the Port Authority of NY & NJ said,
"We urge Congress and the Administration to implement NextGen at
our nation's airports, starting with the nation's most congested
airspace, such as the New York metropolitan region.
"An antiquated air traffic control system that is dependent on
ground-based radar technology is threatening efficiency of our
airports and stifling economic growth. The Federal Aviation
Administration's Next Generation Air Transportation System - called
NextGen - will alleviate delays at the nation's most congested and
delay-prone airports, but is years away from full
implementation."
Specifically, the Alliance advocates the passage of the Federal
Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill that includes NextGen
initiatives in the Bill; full funding for NextGen initiatives in
Appropriation bills; the FAA's establishment of a timeline for
delivering NextGen technologies and benefits; technologies that are
compatible with Canadian, European and Asian partners; and FAA
deployment of NextGen technologies in the nation's most congested
airspace, like the metropolitan New York area.